BELCHERTOWN — When it comes to the postseason, regular season standings mean almost nothing. It’s all about which team is clicking when the playoffs get rolling.
Aldenville Post 337 gave Belchertown Post 239 a run for its money on Wednesday night in a winner’s bracket contest of the American Legion Senior Division’s pursuit of a spot in the State Chairman’s Cup. Despite Belchertown besting Aldenville in both of their regular season showdowns, Aldenville came into Wednesday night’s contest riding a four-game winning streak.
“They’re getting hot at the right time. They’re a good team,” Belchertown head coach Jon Endelos said said of Aldenville. “I don’t care what anyone’s record is, come playoff time because it’s a one and done type of deal.”
Belchertown’s resiliency paid off in the end, securing a 3-1 win thanks to a pair of critical runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie. Post 239 pitcher Andrew Ciaglo threw all seven innings for the home team, striking out eight batters and allowing just four hits.
“I felt great. My fastball was feeling good, curveball, change-up – everything was feeling good. I was just out there rolling,” Ciaglo said.
Belchertown will face Westfield in the next round at a time and date to be determined.
It took a while for Belchertown’s bats to warm up – it had been a week since the players had last been on a baseball diamond for a practice or a game. Both teams were held scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, when Nate Mills decided to take the game into his own hands. Mills unloaded an absolute bomb over the center field fence to give Post 239 a 1-0 lead in the first-at bat of the fourth.
“I knew I was hitting the ball well before we took a break… going into the AB, I was like ‘Just be patient, just be patient,’” Mills said. “I was looking at a fastball, 3-1, and I finally just ran into one and got it out there… I was running hard out of the box, and Coach Gladu started going crazy, and I knew (it was gone).”
Mills’ homer was the only run the home squad could get on the board for the next couple of innings. Meanwhile, Aldenville was starting to get some momentum swinging its way. After a lifeless top of the fifth inning where Ciaglo struck out three straight batters, Aldenville ended the bottom of the fifth with an absolute robbery from Joshua Frometa at second base. Jack Feltovic blasted a line drive that was going over Frometa’s head before he leapt up and snagged it, ending the inning and keeping Post 337 within striking distance.
The visiting side capitalized on that momentum the next inning. Luis DeJesus singled and stole second for Aldenville before making it to home on a Frometa drive to left field, tying the game up and giving Post 337 new life.
“Whenever you’re losing (or) you’re tied going to the last inning or two, you’re always nervous. This team has a lot of grit, has a lot of resiliency. We’ve been in that situation three or four different times this year, you know they’ve done it before,” Endelos said. “Just waiting for that opportune guy to get to the plate or that opportune hit to kind of push the momentum going our way.”
Belchertown was able to respond in its very next opportunity at the plate. Ryan Zawistowski got on first and took second on a balk, and Ciaglo hit a line drive single to left that moved Zawistowski to third. Pinch hitter Tyler Laramee came up clutch with a hard grounder that got past a diving first baseman, scoring Zawistowski and moving Ciaglo to third after he had swiped second during Laramee’s at-bat. Austin Endelos drove in Ciaglo to give Belchertown a 3-1 cushion heading into the seventh inning.
“I’ll just say the bottom of the order, when we needed it – get a base runner, get a hit, then a base runner, then a balk – it takes a little bit of juice to get the momentum going, and then we’re good when we get that momentum going our way,” Endelos said.
Ciaglo and his defense didn’t allow Aldenville to even get on base in the top of the seventh, closing out the game with a 1-2-3 final frame.
Long night for Sadowski, Teddy Bear Pools
Andrew Sadowski tossed all 11 innings of a scoreless game, as Teddy Bear Pools and Longmeadow were unable to finish their Tri-County League playoff game on Tuesday night due to darkness.
The teams replayed the game on Wednesday night at Spec Pond, though it finished after print deadline.
Holding a 1-0 series lead, the Poolmen received 14 strikeouts from Sadowski during Game 2’s first attempt.
Longmeadow’s Will Alicea also went 11 innings, allowing four hits.